Compliance to Ethical Procurement Practices in Tanzania: A Case of Geita District Council

Abstract

The main focus of the study was to investigate public compliance with ethical procurement practices in Tanzania. Three specific objectives guided the study were; to evaluate the extent to which compliance with regulations affects the procurement process; to identify the challenges faced in achieving full compliance with ethical procurement practices and to propose recommendations and strategies for enhancing compliance with ethical procurement practices based on best practices. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population constituted 71 procurement officers, and a stratified random sampling method was adopted to obtain 60 sampled respondents from the target population. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect primary data from the respondents. The collected data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and SPSS software. The study findings revealed that, there is a positive relationship between compliance with regulation and ethical procurement practices, and that procurement officers are competent and skilled to enhance procurement compliance. Suppliers also stressed improving the tendering system and clearer item specifications. The study recommends that the Government, procurement policymakers, and procuring entities should adhere to the procurement laws and regulations set up by the PPRA which finally leads to the appreciation of the value of money within the institution. In conclusion, it was emphasized that prioritizing ethical conduct in procurement practices is vital and enhances compliance with procurement regulations and procedures